Cambridge 33 - Cornish Pirates 40

For their opening Championship league game in 2024, the Cornish Pirates travelled to play Cambridge away at their Ellgia Fields ground, writes Phil Westren. 

The Cornish Pirates selection saw a return at full-back for fit again Kyle Moyle. Will Trewin moved out to the wing and there was a new centre pairing with Robin Wedlake named to partner Joe Elderkin.

In the forwards, prop Fin Richardson made his first league start for the Pirates, whilst Josh Williams was selected alongside Steele Barker in the second row.

Club captain John Stevens is presently injured, so flanker Alex Everett wore the skipper’s armband with Hugh Bokenham stepping back into the back row at number 8. On the bench, the name of Will Britton was listed. Recovered from a knee injury, he looked forward to making an appearance for his first league outing this season.

After an early Pirates penalty miss – fly-half Bruce Houston’s attempt rebounding off a post – it was the home side who opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a try scored by wing Kwaku Asiedu. Fly-half Steffan James added the extras.

It was not long before the Pirates got on the scoreboard through a try scored by hooker Morgan Nelson, which was his thirteenth in all games this season (now seven in the league). Houston converted well to level the scores.

Better still was to come for the Cornish side, with first a sudden burst to the line by centre Joe Elderkin to soon put the Pirates in front. Then, after Will Trewin and Kyle Moyle were initially involved, fly-half Bruce Houston’s fired a long pass to wing Matt McNab who ran 40 metres for another Pirates try. Houston converted both and the Pirates led 21-7.

After an early stutter the Pirates were looking very impressive facing the ‘Blood and Sand’ – to give Cambridge their nickname – and when lock Josh Williams stretched his legs to make it to the line for an unconverted tr, a quickly acquired four-try bonus point was in the bag.

Cambridge, led by Aussie lock George Bretag Norris, strived to respond, with scrum-half Kieran Duffin lively when breaking tackles and Asiedu threatening once more. However, with skipper Alex Everett always strong to the fore, and the Pirates acquiring several line-out steals, including an important one right on halftime, the Pirates returned to the changing rooms holding a satisfying 26-7 advantage.

It was Cambridge’s Jamie Benson, on loan from Harlequins, who got the second half underway. It also initially appeared that from territory acquired a second home try looked ‘on’, only for the Pirates to be awarded a penalty.

Reflecting their recent on field strength, the Cambridge team showed many changes from the one that welcomed the Pirates to their Ellgia Fields ground, so after an interception and then a quick tap penalty led to an unconverted try scored by experienced full-back Eli Caven, hopes of making it back into this contest were heightened. 

Quick to attack, Trewin went close to scoring, and from a scrum that followed the Pirates reapplied pressure on their opponents, only to then concede a penalty that gifted relief to the Blood and Sand.

Replacement scrum-half Ruaridh Dawson showed his pace to score a converted effort at the posts that made it 33-12, but all but from the restart Cambridge secured their third try of the match, scored by hooker Ben Brownlie, to bring them within 14 points of their opponents. Hopes will have been high for them to quickly score again but a converted try by replacement backrower Harry Dugmore took the Pirates to the 40-mark and victory surely now a ‘cert’.

To their credit, home perseverance led to replacement Nahum Merigan, a former England under 20s player who has featured for Bath, notching up a converted bonus point providing fourth try for Cambridge, and there a chance of acquiring a second bonus point if they scored again and lost within seven points, which they admirably did.

Following a penalty kick to the corner it was second five-pointer from Brownlie that provided the chance, but the conversion also had to be nailed, and it was, with the last play of what had proved for supporters an entertaining game.